Lloyd Benton Prather was born 15 Nov 1782 in Rowan Co NC, the tenth child and eighth son of Basil and Chlorenda (Robertson) Prather.[1] He died in Douglas Co KS, 25 Apr 1867, and was buried there with his wife of 63 years.[2]

On 21 Jun 1804 in Jefferson Co KY, he married Nancy Redman, a daughter of Benjamin and Anne (Wynne) Redman. Nancy was born in Montgomery Co MD on 16 Mar 1782 and died in Douglas Co KS on 11 Aug 1871.[3]

Along with other members of the Prather family, he moved to Clark Co IN before 1805. He fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.[4] He signed various petitions in Indiana Territory.[5]

In 1820, his family was listed as Clark Co IN, p 49, Lloyd Prather: 120010/30010. They were still in that county in 1830, Clark Co IN, p 112, “Loyd” Prather: 0201001/0010001; one daughter was married and another had probably died young.[6] By 1840, Lloyd and all his family had moved to Harrison Co IN, where Lloyd and his three oldest sons had census listings: Harrison Co IN, p 615: Lloyd Prather, 00011001/00001001; p 603: James Prather, 100001/32001; also Thomas and Reason Prather; only Mary Ellen and Abraham Schwartz were still in Clark County. In 1850, Lloyd and Nancy were in Jefferson Co IA, Des Moines Twp, p 89, 169-172.[7] In 1860, they were in Jefferson Co IA, p 233.[8] In 1870 Nancy was with the family of her eldest son Thomas: Franklin Co KS, Franklin Twp, p 63, #59-59.[9]

Nancy and Lloyd Prather had the following children:

1. Thomas Helms PRATHER was born on 2 Apr 1805 in Clark Co IN. He died in Douglas Co KS, on 8 Dec 1888, and was buried in the same cemetery as his parents. He was an early Methodist minister. On 30 Apr 1829, he first married Elizabeth LINDSEY in Clark Co IN. Born on 24 Apr 1809 in KY, Elizabeth died in Jefferson Co IA, in 1851.

They had the following children:

i. Emily (1830->1904)

ii. Amos Summers (1832-1873)

iii. Lloyd (1834-1839)

iv. Christopher (1836-1909)

v. Nancy A (1838-1898)

vi. Sarah Ellen (1841-1930)

vii. George L (1844-1864)

viii. Francis Asbury (1848-1912)

On 6 Apr 1852 when Thomas Helms was 47, he second married Nancy Elizabeth ALVERSON in Appanoose Co IA. Born on 9 Oct 1834 in Putnam Co MO, Nancy Elizabeth died in Franklin Co KS, on 12 Jan 1912. They had the following children, who gave Thomas Helms Prather a total of 21 children:

i. James Elkanah (1853-1930)

ii. Alpharetta (1854-1855)

iii. Esther Lulie (1857-1940)

iv. Dicey (1859-1892)

v. Thomas (Died as Child) (1860-1863)

vi. Elmer E (Died as Infant) (1862-1863)

vii. Nelson Alverson (1864-1921)

viii. Cena Lillis (1866-1958)

ix. Vada (1868-1902)

x. Ammy May (1869-1939)

xi. William (Died as Child) (1873-1875)

xii. Elza (1874-1919)

xiii. Charles Delbert (1876-1965)

2. James Russell PRATHER was born on 17 Nov 1807 in Clark Co IN. He died in Jefferson Co IA, on 25 Jan 1850, according to Oliver P Light of smallpox. On 11 Feb 1830, he first married Louvica Caroline VEACH, daughter of Jacob VEACH & Mary HILTON, in Clark Co IN. Born between 1806 and 1810 in KY, Louvica Caroline died in Harrison Co IN, on 15 Jul 1841. They had the following children:

i. Mary Elizabeth (1831-1909)

ii. Nancy Jane (1833-1895)

iii. Enoch Locke (1835-1904)

iv. Sarah Ann (Twin) (1837-1870)

v. Indiann (Twin) (1837-1919)

vi. Elvira Ellen (1839-1880)

vii. Louvica Caroline (1841-<1900)

On 27 Jan 1842 when James Russell was 34, he second married Elizabeth Jane JAMISON in Harrison Co IN. Born on 6 Aug 1822 in TN, Elizabeth Jane died in Macon Co IL, on 26 Apr 1906. She married Job Clark on 8 Jan 1857 in Harrison Co IN, where she returned after her first husband’s death. James and Elizabeth had the following children:

i. Margaret Elan (1843-ca1921)

ii. Marion Washington (1844-1906)

iii. Maria L (1846-ca 1848)

iv. Martha Emmeline (1849-)

3. Elizabeth Ann PRATHER was born on 19 Sep 1810 in Clark Co IN. She died in Jefferson Co IA, on 14 May 1892. On 13 Apr 1829 Elizabeth married Abraham SCHWARTZ in Clark Co IN. Born on 16 Oct 1803 in Jefferson Co KY, Abraham died in Jefferson Co IA, on 12 Nov 1891. They had the following children:

i. Susan (1831->1892)

ii. William Henry (1833-1904)

iii. Nancy Catherine (1835->1892)

iv. Anna M (1838->1892)

v. Mary E (1840->1898)

vi. Rachel Eliza (1842-1928)

vii. Irene (1846->1892)

viii. Sirrilda C (1850-1943)

4. Reason Benjamin (or Reason Redman) PRATHER was born in 1812 in Clark Co IN. Reason Benjamin was living in 1870 in Allen Twp, Worth Co MO. In Johnson Co IN on 8 Aug 1835, he married Sarah Ann VEACH, daughter of Jacob VEACH & Mary HILTON and sister of Louvica Caroline Veach, his brother James’s wife. Born ca 1816 in Clark Co IN, Sarah Ann was living in 1880 in Allen Twp, Worth Co MO. They had the following children:

i. Elizabeth (1836-)

ii. Andrew B (1837-1863)

iii. Amanda M (1839-)

iv. Mary Jane (1841-1932)

v. Nancy Anna (ca1843-1913)

vi. Margaret F (1846-)

vii. Jonathan Cass (1848-1921)

viii. [?Serena] Louvica (ca1851-ca1912)

ix. Emily/Emma Adeline (1856-1930)

5. Cena Lillis PRATHER was born in 1814 in Clark Co IN and died there in the 1820s.

6. Mary Ellen PRATHER was born on 22 Jul 1817 in Clark Co IN. Mary Ellen died on 28 May 1899. On 31 Dec 1840, she married Campbell RANKIN in Harrison Co IN. Born on 7 Jul 1806 in Jefferson Co TN, Campbell died probably in Livingston Co KY, on 23 Apr 1881. They had the following children:

i. Peninah W (ca1842-)

ii. Felix F (1845-)

iii. Mary Emily (ca1846-)

iv. William P (ca1848-)

v. Terissa C (ca1851-)

vi. Rebecca A (ca1853-)

vii. Thomas B (ca1855-)

viii. Eugene E (ca1857-)

7. William W Redman PRATHER was born in 1820 in Clark Co IN. William died in Elk Co KS after the 1880 census. On 7 Mar 1850, he married Sarah Martin ROBINSON in Monroe Co IA. Born in 1833 in IN, Sarah was living in 1880 in Elk Co KS. They had the following children:

i. Lewis Cass Luke (1851-)

ii. Nancy Elizabeth (ca1854-)

iii. Lloyd Basford (ca1859-)

iv. Martha E (ca1862-)

v. William (ca1864-)

vi. Mary A (ca1867-)

vii. James R (ca1870-)

viii. Loretta Vergiea/Virgie (ca1874-)

ix. Charlie B (ca1878-)

8. Jonathan Cass PRATHER was born in 1823 in Clark Co IN. Jonathan died in Lucas Co IA, in Oct 1852. On 13 Oct 1850, he married Elizabeth M ROLAND in Lucas Co IA. Born on 18 Jul 1833 in IN, Elizabeth M died in Harrison Co IA, on 28 Dec 1925; she was 92. They had the following children:

[4] Battle of Tippecanoe, Army Roll, John Norris’s Co. Inf. MD General Bulletin, Vol 4, p. 29. Also see Ancestry.com. Pioneer history of Indiana : including stories, incidents, and customs of the early settlers [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Cockrum, William Monroe, Pioneer history of Indiana: including stories, incidents, and customs of the early settlers. Oakland City, Ind: Press of Oakland City Journal, 1907, p. 286.

[7] Lloyd Prather 68 m farmer NC, Nancy 67 f MD. Same page as Reason Prather and Thomas Prather. James’s orphaned children were all in the same county, as were all but three of the surviving children of Lloyd and Nancy; these were in Lucas Co IA.

I am currently working on my DAR membership, my great great grandfather being Christopher W Prather, son on Rev Thomas Helms Prather, through lloyd Benton Prather. Christopher’s death certificate does not state his parents, and Indiana did not record births as early as 1836. I am hoping documentation of census and and land purchase can lead to the final step. Your work is outstanding!